Broomfield Symphony Orchestra putting spring in the air with 'Winds & Strings' show Saturday

By Terri Chance

For the Enterprise

Posted:
03/14/2013 01:00:00 AM MDT

TUNING UP FOR 'WINDS & STRINGS:' Denise Schoengold, right, Hans Ackerman and Michelle Nielsen rehearse last week with the Broomfield Symphony Orchestra at Broomfield United Methodist Church. The orchestra will present 'Winds & Strings' Saturday at the Broomfield Auditorium. (Photo by Matt Kelley / For the Enterprise)

If you go

What: "Winds & Strings"

Who: Broomfield Symphony Orchestra

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Broomfield Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road

Tickets: $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, $6 for children 12 and younger. Purchase at Auditorium box office or at broomfieldsymphony.org.

More info: 303-912-1649

Just in time for the blustery arrival of spring, the Broomfield Symphony Orchestra is bringing "Winds & Strings" to the Broomfield Auditorium.

The music for the concert, while not specifically chosen as a springtime theme, strikes a chord for the season. "St. Paul's Suite" by Gustav Holst offers a sunny melody, and "The Lark Ascending" by Ralph Vaughn Williams reminds one of the arrival of spring's fine-feathered friends.

Music director David Brussel, with input from the orchestra's board of directors, chose pieces for the show that many concert goers might not recognize.

"I want to introduce the orchestra to things they haven't played," he said. "And it gives the audience a chance to hear different genres; a variety."

Violinist Gwen Gravagno will perform as the soloist for "The Lark Ascending." Gravagno has been the concertmaster with the orchestra since 2010. She also was a member of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Ballet Orchestra, Denver Chamber Orchestra and the Boulder Philharmonic.

Concertmaster is a term that refers to someone who sits in the first chair, in her case, the first violin chair.

"Before there were conductors," Brussel said, "the orchestra was led from the first chair."

LEADING THE WAY: Broomfield Symphony Orchestra music director runs the strings through their paces last week. (Photo by Matt Kelley / For the Enterprise)

Previously, the orchestra was known as the Broomfield Civic Orchestra, formed in 1981 by a handful of local musicians. The name change came about in 2011. BSO president David Oliver said the name was changed to represent the evolution and growth of the organization.

"We decided to go with a more modern sounding trade name along the lines of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra," Oliver said.

As the group has grown, so have the audiences.

Brussel said the orchestra has played for sold-out crowds for many of its recent concerts, including at the Audi. As a musician with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra who performs 43 weeks during its season, Brussel said he is giving thought to increasing the number of performances each season for the Broomfield group.

"The orchestra wants to grow, and we want to get larger audiences," Brussel said.

Creating a show that includes only the strings and wind instruments is unique to the Broomfield Symphony Orchestra. Of the 60 members of the orchestra, almost everyone will be performing Saturday evening.

"We won't have trombones, tuba, piano or percussion," Brussel said.

The orchestra is made up of non-professional musicians. No one gets paid to be a member; in fact, they pay dues. The musicians spend hours practicing and performing because they love music.

"The motivation is different for the musicians; it's rewarding. They play because they want to. They even pay for the privilege," Brussel said.

To increase interest, Brussel said he is raising the level of the performance by the orchestra and introducing lesser- known pieces to the audiences. In this performance, the group won't be playing what Brussel calls the "top 40 on classical radio." He has instead chosen music he feels "deserves to be played."

Brussel admits he chooses some of the pieces because it is music he has always wanted to conduct, bus said it makes for much more interesting programming.

The audiences seem to agree.

"People are starting to sit up and take notice," he said. "We even have something resembling a loyal following."

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story